Hapstone Pro Knife Sharpener R2 Unboxing and Overview
Unboxing our Hapstone Pro R2 Standard Knife Sharpener
We received our Hapstone Pro Knife Sharpener and thought it would be great to show you how the R2 system comes packaged and the key components of the system.
We are presented with a rigid brown shipping box with Hapstone branded packing tape.
Shipping box:
Once the shipping box is opened up we are presented with a lifestyle image of the system printed onto the sleeve that covers the internal box.
Its easy to slide the internal box out of the sleeve and then we are greeted with a Hapstone Pro branded white box with Hapstone logos on the outside.
Once we cut open the box we are presented with smaller boxes with number on them numbered 1-4.
After removing the numbered boxes we start with box #1
Inside box #1 we find the steel base wrapped in Hapstone branded wrapping paper and also a smaller box containing the riser that supports the modular systems, finally there is an Allen key for mounting the riser to the base.
Box #2 contains the guide rod, Stone holder, Pivot bearing unit and the vertical rod for the base.
The stone holder is made of what appears to be a steel rod and anodized aluminium with a wooden handle for holding on to.
The pivot has two sections, Black section mounts to the vertical rod with a thumb screw and the Orange section contains the bearing for smooth guide rod operation.
On the back for the pivot is a hook for parking the guide rod when not in use, this is a simple part of the system but it makes the sharpening process more enjoyable.
Box #3 presents us with the 360 degree rotating module, this is the core part of the R2 Hapstone Pro Knife Sharpener system.
The accessory clamps mount to the front of the module and allow you to clamp various blades.
The 360 degree rotating module uses a detent with a roller bearing to turn smoothly, the detent tension can be adjusted to a desired rate using the turn knob on the back of the module, this applies extra pressure on the bearing to hold it in place, this then requires more force to rotate the blade.
Box #4 contains our knife clamps, these are made from spring steel and machined to shape.
These clamps can be mounted inwards or outwards depending on the blade that you wish to clamp, the benefit of this clamp type is that it allows for better clamping of full flat ground blades as the jaws actually pivot to clamp the blade.
To clamp a blade just open the jaws so the spine slides in then use the rear adjusting grub screw to apply leverage against the blade, this creates a secure grip on the spine, with no risk of the knife coming loose.
There are two boxes with no numbers on them, these contain the Micro tuning adjuster which comes standard with the R2 Classic models and is an optional upgrade on all other models, and finally the two spring stoppers for the guide rod.
The spring assisted stoppers prevent the guide rod from smashing into the bearing housing
ASSEMBLY
To begin assembling we start with the steel Hapstone base and vertical riser, remove the screws from the base of the riser and then feed them from underneath the base, face the riser so it leans back towards the back of the system.
Feed the vertical rod up through the rear hole and secure in place with the stopper.
Slide the micro tuning adaptor down the rod and lock in place, then slide the pivot unit onto the vertical rod with the guide rod paring tool facing downwards as this can be accidently installed upside down.
To install the 360 degree Hapstone Pro module loosen the two Allen key bolts on the top side of the vertical riser.
Slide in the module to the matching slots and retighten the Allen key bolts to secure.
Connect the two parts of the guide rod with the supplied small Allen key to form the complete guide rod and stone carrier
Insert the guide rod into the pivot bearing and park it using the parking tool.
Fitting the supplied Hapstone Pro clamps are easy to attach to the 360 cross bar, simply loosen and remove the screw and washer from the rear of the clamp then sandwich the clamp and screw between the cross bar and tighten them back together.
Repeat the process and install the second clamp in the desired orientation depending on the blade of choice.
The Hapstone Pro Sharpening System is now ready to put impressively sharp edges on all of your blades.
Fitting a stone to the system is easy using the spring loaded holder, simply pull back the tab closest to the handle and insert the stone with the face of the stone outwards, you will see the dovetail grooves also hold the stone in securely so it doesn't fall out while sharpening.
On the top of the guide rod is a metal strip that is used to mount the Digital Angle cube which is used to accurately measure the sharpening angle.
The base of the Angle cube has magnets that allow the cube to remain in place while adjusting the angle.
If you are trying to create more complex angle geometry when sharpening then adding a convex adaptor to the mix can greatly change a knifes dynamic, create bevels that are stronger and still maintain sharpness.
If you are in the market for a sharpening system that ticks all the boxes then the Hapstone R2 system is one to consider, Hapstone delivers quality, performance and accuracy in an affordable platform.
Get yours today HERE
KME Sharpening Systems - All You Need To Know
THE PORTABLE KNIFE SHARPENING SYSTEM FROM KME
The KME sharpening system is a compact and affordable sharpener that allows you to sharpen on the go.
The main body of the sharpener is made from machined wood and a main metal bent plate mounted to the top, a simple angle adjustment at the rear of the system allows you to set an angle that suits your blade.
A main guide rod with stone holder is the moving component of the system while sharpening, it holds stones that are 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.
At the front of the unit there is a standard set of aluminium jaws that hold the blade in place while sharpening, once one side of the blade is sharpened the knife flips over while still clamped in place, a bearing system holds the tension while sharpening and can be adjusted to the users preference.
At the base of the system is a hole with a nylon sleeve, this is for mounting the system to the upgradable wooden base so that you can sit the KME on when you don't want to be holding it.
The KME sharpener comes standard in two kit options, the R.P.S.H kit Repair Profile Shape Hone and the Diamond kit, the only difference between the two are the standard included stones.
Below shows the 4 standard stones in the R.P.S.H kit:
- KME Gold Series xx Coarse Diamond Hone - 100 Grit
- Coarse Aluminium Oxide Ceramic - 120 Grit
- Medium Aluminium Oxide Ceramic - 320 Grit
- Fine Hard Arkansas Stone - 1000 Grit
KME Diamond Stones kit:
- KME Gold Series X-Coarse Hone - 140 Grit
- KME Gold Series Coarse Hone - 300 Grit
- KME Gold Series Fine Hone - 600 Grit
- KME Gold Series Extra Fine Hone - 1500 Grit
Included in the case is a Sharpie marker for finding the factory bevel using the "sharpie method" to identify the correct sharpening angle of the blade when starting to sharpen.
The semi-professional knife sharpener comes inside a hard plastic case for storing all your equipment in,
is this the best knife sharpener for portability? It might be!
If you are looking for a compact sharpening unit that will handle most common knives then the KME may be one to consider, alternatively there are some systems at a similar price point that may also be of interest, like the Hapstone pro knife sharpener
Knifemate Guided Sharpening System - For Freehand Stones
The Knifemate Sharpening System from Blade Mates
Born in the Northern suburbs of Perth Australia, Creators Mark and Bob came up with the genius idea of a guided sharpening system that was designed for use with freehand sharpening stones.
The simple but thought-out design consists of the main threaded rod, which is made from aircraft grade aluminium, in one end of the rod there is a hardened fixed ball bearing that provides a friction free surface for the rod to glide on.
The main clamping body has beautifully CNC machined logo on the side, at the front of the system is the unique jaw design that uses a cam locking mechanism that is similar to a quick release bike wheel.
The final part of the puzzle is the locking nut, the cog shaped nut is ergonomic and easy to use.
How The Knifemate Is Used
Wind in the threaded rod from the bottom of the main unit body, about halfway as a starting point.
Wind down the lock nut from the top side of the unit so it looks like the below image.
- Open up the cam lock lever to open the jaws.
- Insert the knife with the spine against the small ledge inside the jaws.
- Close the clamp so that the lever is in the closed position and the knife is secure in the jaws.
- Sit the bevel of the knife on top of the sharpening stone that you wish to use.
- Set your angle with either an Angle Cube or using the "Sharpie Method" to determine the sharpening angle.
- Using the angle cube press the Zero button whilst it is sitting on top of the sharpening stone.
- Sit the angle cube up onto the main shaft just above the Knifemate logo, this will show you the sharpening angle.
- Loosen the locking nut and manually wind the threaded rod and you will see the angle change, once at the desired angle wind down the lock nut and tighten it snugly.
- Once your stone is prepared for use just use clean sweeping strokes to sharpen the blade, if reprofiling you can also use a scrubbing motion to draw a burr.
- Once a burr is made, unclamp the blade and flip it over to start sharpening the other side.
- Once a burr has formed on the other side you can progress to the next grit stone, for more sharpening tips and tricks read our blog on sharpening.
Here is a video showing our first look at the Knifemate
What's In The Kit?
- Canvas storage roll
- Microfiber cleaning cloth
- Instruction Manual
- Main body
- Threaded rod
- Lock nut
What Can I Sharpen With The Knifemate?
- Butchers Knives
- Fishing Knives
- Household Knives
- Cleavers
- Camping Knives
Who Is It For?
- Hairdressing
- Fibreglass trimming
- Home
- Upholstery
- Dressage
- Kitchen
- Tailors
- Craft use
- Dressmaking
- Farrier
- Hobbyist
Features And Key Benefits
- Easy to use.
- Infinite angle adjustment within the range of the tool.
- Use your own sharpening media e.g.,whetstones'.
- Designed for field and home use.
- Light weight, robust.
- Compact and easy to carry.
- Simple in design.
- Robust and reliable with repeatable results.
- Able to reproduce a consistent double or single bevel angle to a prescribed angle.
- No moving parts while in use.
- Able to be used on any flat firm surface.
- Able and adaptable to be used for knives, 2 blade and 3 blade arrow heads.
- Manual operation, no power required.
- Unique wave in the lower gripping jaw to provide improved grip on some “professional” knives.
- Maintenance free except for routine cleaning, just wipe over with a clean dry cloth.
- Cam lock on gripping mechanism to increase gripping force applied with minimal effort.
Can I Sharpen Anything Other Than Knives?
Our answer is Yes!
By adding the separate scissor attachment you can now sharpen most scissor varieties.
As shown in our instructional video below.
How To Sharpen A Knife Correctly
Selecting The Right Sharpening Stone
Hapstone Modular Sharpening System
Jende Industries Guided Sharpening System
How to Sharpen Your Knives with a Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker
The Spyderco Tri-angle Sharpmaker is a compact sharpening tool
6 Top Tips To Keep Your Blades In Top Condition
What Is Gunny Juice And Why Do You Need It?
What is Gunny Glide?
